1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wearing apparel having means to attach sunglasses, and more particularly, billed caps with built-in sunglass holders.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Sunglasses are a feature of modem outdoor life. They may be prescription or non-prescription types, but in either event wearers frequently put on their sunglasses and remove them again. When entering a darkened building from the outside, for instance, sunglasses may hinder the wearer's eyesight. Upon leaving the building, the wearer may want to put the sunglasses back on again, as the sudden change in light level can cause discomfort for the wearer.
Manufacturers of sunglasses usually provide cases for carrying the sunglasses when they are not being worm. Repeatedly inserting the glasses in the case and then removing them can be annoying for the wearer. In addition, the wearer may have to carry the sunglass case in his pocket, in the case or a male wearer, or a female not carrying a handbag. The case can cause damage to the wearer's pocket, or cause unfashionable bulges in the wearer's body line. Or the wearer may not be wearing a garment with pockets.
In any of the above cases, it is desirable to have an alternative means of carrying the sunglasses when they are not being worn.
The prior art provides a number of different approaches to this problem. U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,225 describes a clip which allows sunglasses to be attached to the visor of a cap. An different style clip is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,476, intended to attach glasses to a visor. Both of these inventions suffer, in comparison to the current invention, in that they require a separate clip, not normally carried or worn by the wearer of the glasses, which is easily misplaced.
The current invention, besides being extremely inexpensive, has a number of advantages over the prior art. Most importantly from a functional standpoint, the holder is integrated into the wearer's hat, and cannot be misplaced or lost. Furthermore, the appearance of the present invention is attractive and pleasing to the eye, the glasses blending in with the cap visor without extraneous clips or clamps to disturb the line of the cap.